Samuels concerned about fingerprints

Attorney-at-law Bert Samuels has raised concerns that the State of Emergency in Jamaica allows the police to store thousands of fingerprints obtained from detainees.



Other attorneys have speculated that the police are using the fingerprints and photographs of detainees to compile a national database.



Samuels says while the police have this power under in section 31, sub-section four of the Emergency Powers Act, such a practice would be worrying.



This is because outside of a state of emergency, only a judge can issue an order for someone to be photographed and fingerprinted.



Samuels says without a State of Emergency, the photograph and fingerprint of an accused person has to be destroyed within three months after they are acquitted by the courts.



When contacted, Acting Deputy Commissioner of Police, Glenmore Hinds, and Assistant Commissioner of Police, Justin Felice, both declined to comment on the issue.